Birthday Celebrations
by A P0etic Tragedy
Summary: Steve Randle's birthday does not go as smoothly as planned. But does it ever?


p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; caret-color: #2a2a2a; color: #2a2a2a;"Steve woke up to the constant ringing of his alarm. His arm reaching over to slam the snooze has basically become muscle memory. His father: disgruntled and clearly in a stormy mood leaned on his doorway his eyes squinting into his son's room making out form of the teenage boy still in his bed curled up and ready for another ten minutes of blissful sleep before the alarm goes off again./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; caret-color: #2a2a2a; color: #2a2a2a;""Hey turn that thing off why don't ya I just got home and I'm gonna be resting all day so if I hear that shit again I'll chuck it out your window Steve" the smell of whiskey that seems to follow his father around like a signature scent began to invade Steve's nostrils and he got up and turned the alarm off. /p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; caret-color: #2a2a2a; color: #2a2a2a;""it's off pops just go to bed or go brush your fucking teeth first at least" Steve threw the covers off and crunched down to grab the closest shirt that was lying on the floor./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; caret-color: #2a2a2a; color: #2a2a2a;""watch your fucking language Steve I left you some cash on the table because you know what I try to be a good father and I remembered your birthday was today didn't I" his dad had a self satisfied smirk on his face that made Steve want to roll his eyes so far up his skull they would just disappear. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"sure leave me cash out in the kitchen and go pass out on your bed father of the year right here folks/span Steve thought to himself as he got dressed./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; caret-color: #2a2a2a; color: #2a2a2a;""okay whatever dad im gonna go hang with sodapop" he brushed past his father trying not to breathe in the almost impressively vulgar stench of beer and whiskey and whatever leftover bar food that was stuck to his shirt. /p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; caret-color: #2a2a2a; color: #2a2a2a;""You know what I do for you is a lot more than what my father did for me Steve!" his dad yelled down the hallway towards Steve before lumbering into his room grumbling all the way. Steve watched his father disappear into his bedroom like a bear going off into its cave for hibernation before the next spring where he would come out to go drink himself stupid with his friends and then come back home again only to pass out once more. wash, rinse, repeat. Steve rubbed the sleep from his eyes before brushing his teeth and combing his hair back making sure it was slicked and ready for the day. He slipped his comb into his back pocket and grabbed the wad of cash his dad left before heading out the door down the street to a place that felt like home. /p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; caret-color: #2a2a2a; color: #2a2a2a;"The door was always open in the Curtis' house he stepped in letting the screen door slam shut alerting the inhabitants inside that someone was coming in. Steve walked into he kitchen to see Darry, Ponyboy, and Sodapop sitting around the table eating breakfast before he realized Two-Bit had beat him to being the first arrival as Two sipped on a morning mug of coffee oddly silent for someone who never shuts up. They all showered him in a chorus of happy birthdays before Steve nodded a silent thank you and reaching into the stack of pancakes Darry had obviously woken up early to prepare./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; caret-color: #2a2a2a; color: #2a2a2a;""Pops give you any trouble before you came over or do you just never wake up huh birthday boy" Sodapop lightly teased his best friend who was wolfing down the food in front go him./p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; caret-color: #2a2a2a; color: #2a2a2a;""You know the usual amount of trouble he gives he probably went out drinking again and hustled a bunch of idiots. Gave me the whole my father was worse than me speech and all before he handed me a sizable stack of spending money" Steve pulled the cash out of his pocket and tumbled over the bills quickly before telling soda. /p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; caret-color: #2a2a2a; color: #2a2a2a;"Soda whistled and grinned "you know you oughta use that money to buy yourself some chocolate cake and a new set of hubcaps"/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; caret-color: #2a2a2a; color: #2a2a2a;"Steve grinned and shook his head "nah there's an easier way to get new hubcaps just lift em off some jerk off who thinks they can park their shiny new car on this side of the streets but I've been thinking about restoring my dad's car give it a fresh new paint job and spice it up."/p  
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.119999885559082px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; caret-color: #2a2a2a; color: #2a2a2a;"Soda's grin grew even wider "Principal Hewbert got a real shiny set of hubcaps just parked in the school lot. It's basically begging for you to take em." Steve's eyes twinkled with a look he got every time he was ready for some trouble. "alright im not hungry anymore let's go" Their chairs scraped back in unison as they ran out the door racing each other down the street./p 


End file.
